Signing Stars
by Dia Newman
Summary: "She laughed with no humor, sang with no melody, and screamed with no rage. She was alone, and she was silent." The life of a deaf girl and an overly compassionate male. (One-shot, for Mii-Chan's birthday. T for bullying.)


She laughed with no humor, sang with no melody, and screamed with no rage. She was alone, and she was silent.

* * *

Her first memory was signing to her mother _Why can't I talk with mouth? You, Lyra, and Daddy talk with mouth._ Her mother was quick to correct the signing, and Crystal saw her sigh. A toneless, dead sigh that was only heard through expression.

_Because you're special, Crystal. You don't need your mouth to communicate._ If being special was all, Crystal certainly didn't want to be special. She wanted to hear songs, she wanted to talk and scream. She couldn't even voice her opinion, because when it came down to it, when everyone was angry, no one stopped to watch her sign. No one payed attention to her, unless she threw herself on the ground or broke something. No one remembered her.

_But I want to hear,_ Crystal signed urgantly. _I want to speak._

_Well that won't happen,_ Crystal's mother looked agitated, so the blue haired girl simply nodded and went back to her room, where Lyra was playing with dolls. Lyra perked up at the sight of her sister, and beckoned her over with haste to play. Crystal smiled and gladly joined the brunette. Even if their parents wouldn't listen, Lyra certainly would.

* * *

Grade school was hell. Lyra and Crytsal were seperated, and no one was there to stop bullies when Crystal was pelted with spit balls. Or worse, pushed off the stairs. Crystal was so afraid of it happening again, she wouldn't confess who did it.

* * *

Middle school made elementary school seem like heaven. The taunts increased, especially when a naggy old woman joined Crystal to help her communicate with the teacher. By then, the students had learned to sign the worst insults.

_I guess Mommy beat you too hard. _

_Retard, you weren't ment to be. _

_Were you so annoying Dady stabbed your ear drums? _

_You should of been killed the second your parents found out you were stupid._

She never told Lyra or her parents; she suffered alone.

* * *

In highschool, well, it wore off slowly. They found new people to tease, and Crystal was left alone.

Then one day, a guy came up to her and introduced himself, _Hi!_ He signed, _My name's Gold._

Who's parent named them _Gold_?

_Crystal,_ she replied hesitantly.

_Want to sit with me at lunch?_

_As long as you don't pour my food all over me, _Crystal signed bitterly, remembering her first day of highschool. Gold's sholders shook with, what Crystal guessed, was laughter. Gold then shook his head with a smile and held his hand out for Crystal to hold. She slipped past him, waving off her communicator and beckoned Gold to follow. _How did you learn how to sign?_

Gold gave her a curious look, _How did you?_

_I'm deaf, idiot. You're hearing; I've seen you talk to people._

_Well_, Gold paused, hesitant. _When I was five, my father and mother got in a car crash. My father was dead on impact, but my mom escaped with everything but her hearing. It was hard at first; she was so used to speaking what she thought. I remember at one point I wished she was born deaf so she wouldn't suffer._

Crystal shook her head, cutting Gold off as they walked into the lunch room. _No, no, no, no. Never wish that. Being deaf is horrible - you miss so much of life - never, ever with that._

_They have ear implants, you could hear._ But if the man had anything else to say, it was cut off when someone called to him. Crystal watched his Adam's apple as he yelled back to his friend. The man scowled and sat down, and Gold shrugged and grabbed Crystal's hand, dragging him through the line.

* * *

That night, Gold gave Crystal his phone number with the promise he would text her, so she sat herself on a bed with a phone and book. Lyra walked in and collapsed on her own bed, not even bothering with a greeting. Crystal grabbed her white board and wrote, _Are you okay?_ and slid it on Lyra's bed.

_No, _Lyra signed. _I got into a fight with Silver and he stormed off._

Crystal bit her lip. _Hey, I made a friend today - his names Gold - maybe he can take us out, you know, to do something distracting._

_I would like that, _Lyra signed, and then dug her face into her pillow again. Crystal went back to her book, waiting paitently for Gold to text.

And he did; she recieved the text around five.

**_Hey Crys it's Gold_**

Crys? Why was he calling her Crys?

**_Hi Gold. I have a question for you._**

**_Shoot :)_**

**_Could you take my sister and I out to do something distracting? Her boyfriend and her fought._**

Crystal almost slapped herself when Gold didn't reply for ten minutes, then: **_Sure, my mom says it's okay._**

**_Thank you, Gold :D_**

Crystal sent him her address and nudged Lyra, quickly signing that they were going somehwere. Lyra nodded and went to pull herself together. Crystal rushed into the kitchen and tapped the table, getting her mother's attention. _Lyra and I are going somewhere; a friend is picking us up._ Crystal's mother nodded and Lyra walked in, wearing a big crimson jacket.

Ten minutes later, Crystal saw the lights blinking, signaling the doorbell. She jumped up and dragged Lyra to the door, where Gold was waiting with a grin. Lyra perked up at the sight of him, and Gold signed, _Hey Crystal._ He said something to Lyra (and since Crystal was horrible at lip reading) and Lyra smiled back, so the navy haired girl just assumed it was a friendly hello.

_You didn't tell me your sister was my buddy's girl._ Gold signed as they walked to his car. Lyra crawled into the back and Crystal followed, hoping for her sister to help translate Gold's talking.

* * *

They drove around the city, eating gas station hot dogs and seventy-five cent Cokes. Crystal had never had soo much fun; was that what being a teen supposed to be like? She certainly hoped so, it was fantastic. It ended all to soon though, for Gold dropped them off at eight. Lyra scampered into the house, looking much happier then three hours before. Gold turned to Crystal and signed, _Do you like the stars?_

_Yes, why?_

_Almost everything your wearing has stars incorporated in it._ Crystal looked down and sure enough, her jacket and shirt had stars, her sandals had stars, and so did her shorts. Crystal didn't need a mirror to know that her star earrings were faithfully placed in her ears.

_Stars have always interested me,_ Crystal signed amibly, _people have made stories about things that don't hear or speak, but at the same time the stars have so much meaning. My own sister's name is a constellation. _

Gold smiled and kissed Crystal's forehead, _Well maybe over the weekend, we can be signing stars._


End file.
